Not gaining weight after 3/4 weeks

[Bootsalex]

Anyone got any advice or been in same situation....please help!
Baby dropped a lot of weight from birth (but initial weight has been questioned as a mistake) but over 3 weeks she hasn't gained much weight and on our weigh today, she has lost an ounce.
I'm trying to breastfeeding but we've bee told to top up with formula now after every feed. I'm trying so hard with Breast feeding and feeding on demand, she is alert in th day and I feel like I spend my days on the sofa feeding (which in don't mind!). She has plenty of wet nappies and HV is happy with general health.
I happy she's healthy but I feel a but like I'm failing her as breast feeding is not enough. Latching is fine as 2 midwives and 2HV have seen and said its good.
Any help would be appreciated xxxx

My pfb only finally hit his birthweight at 29 days. Looking back I tries to feed him every 3 hrs and it was a mistake. He needed more and I also stopped my supply developing. Are you sure you are feeding regularly enough? I would feed feed feed for another week and see how you go. HVs can be very quick to say top up with formula but I think in 99% of cases breastfeeding is a process for mum and baby that can take time to get into balance.

This is exactly our story. I was feeding all day with only time off to nip to the loo and stuff for weeks and still at every weigh in she had either lost or not gained weight, even when we started to introduce a small amount of formula too. Latch was checked and was good. At 4 weeks she still wasn't near her birthweight and still not gaining and I decided it was time to make formula her main source. She's 7 weeks now and I'm still breast feeding at every feed, but when they're empty, she's still crying for more and so is on the full volume of formula too. The boob just isn't cutting it for her. And since then she's gained weight and is past her birth weight again.

I was devastated and sobbed my heart out repeatedly that I couldn't give her what she needed. But ultimately I'm sure I did what was best for my little girl - much better to be gaining weight on formula than hungry on the breast milk.

My point is, it's easy for people to say that breast is best and I agree - when it is working. But go with your gut. Keep going if you think that's right for you both. But also don't feel guilty if you decide that formula is the way forward, especially if you can combo feed. It really is ok. Trust your gut and be confident that what ever you decide, you're doing what you know to be best for your little one.

I'm feeding all th time, sounds same as balderdabble. I didn't want to give in to top ups but looks like I have to....I need my babu to be healthy. She does seem satisfied after feeds as settles and at the mo I'm having to wake her for bottles.
I do feel a bit of a failure as I can't provide what she needs :(
Thanks for your advice xxx

My baby didn't regain birthweight until week 5, when I gave formula top ups. He had a tongue tie that was snipped but took us ages to get the hang of things. I'd recommend seeing a feeding specialist rather than midwife or HV as there are so many subtle things that could be stopping the milk being transferred properly.

Breastfeeding can take a long time to get the hang of but not having regained birth weight and having lost an ounce is a serious situation. I did alternate feeds of breast then a formula one and he gained nearly a pound in 4 days. That seemed to give him the energy he needed to sort himself out to breastfeed properly and also gave us room to play with without the constant weight gain worry hanging over us.

Formula top ups are a slippery slope to the end of bf, I was devastated at the time but putting a time limit on them and giving the full feed that way was very helpful, didn't interrupt supply (the crap transfer was doing that on it's own) and achieved the ultimate aim which was to get him to gain weight

Good luck :)

I'm sorry you've been made to feel bad, but you are not alone! Weight gain is incredibly stressful, my LO still isn't back to birthweight at 5wks and is dropping through the centiles, but I'm determined to bf her, to keep my supply up and to give her the best start. I'm doing all I can to boost my supply, eating and drinking all sorts of things, and expressing after a feed where I can (usually morning and evening) so she can have a top up if she has a fussy evening. We also give her one ff at bedtime, and I express at the same time. I was devastated when the MW suggested I needed to top up, I thought it would ruin my supply by replacing a feed, but I think you can make it work with pumping and that ensures that if I feel empty in the evenings - which I do after cluster feeding, she can have a hearty amount and a good sleep. I'm not saying it's for everyone but you should go with your instincts and if your LO is otherwise happy alert healthy weeing pooing etc they are all signs to consider along with weight gain. Speak to your MW and HV's about your worries, and see if they can support you to continue bfing. All the best, keep strong!!

OP, sorry to read your story. There are several 'lines of enquiry' here. I will try to post later with a list. Meantime it would prob be helpful to call a bf helpline and talk about it. Can I just check: you are confident in the weighings? And what is her history of pooing?

Thanks all, nice to know I'm not alone :)
She has at the mo about 1 very dirty nappy a day. Plenty of wees though.
I didn't trust the birth weight as I didn't think she'd lost a pound in a wk. the weights are more the same now....I believe she's getting longer as she doesn't fit her baby grows in the legs anymore but the HV didn't seem interested in that?

It doesn't matter if she is getting longer. She does need to gain, and being longer without gaining is not a good sign. It is just not clear what her weight gain or loss is, but there is enough going on here to merit a close observation.

Things to discuss are

• any placenta remaining? You'd hAve symptoms, but this can be a reason for low supply

• thyroid function (yours)

• breast hypoplasia (google it)

• oral anomaly in your baby eg tt

• position and attachment at the breast (get someone else experienced to look)

As for dealing with it, she needs to feed a lot day and night, using both sides at least each time, and you can consider switch nursing and breast compression, too. Supplementing with your own milk when you can is good, and if you have been advised to use formula as well, then that may well be justified. You can return to full bf if you want, when the problem has passed.

Would be really good if you saw someone who really knows what they Are talking about.

Hope his helps.

We took 6 weeks to get back to birth weight. Latch looked fine and nappies were fine, alert etc.

She had a tongue tie which was the issue. Once it was cut, she started gaining fine.

Hope you get it sorted soon x

Thanks for posting the below advice tiktok, also very helpful for me

Glad you've posted here now Bootsalex

Hope you can get some help here and face to face. Any chance you could pay to see a lactation consultant?

Yes! It's good to know others are experiencing the same. Thank you ro everyone for responding.
Flymo79 are you still continuing with breast and only 1 ff at night?
I don't know where to find a lactation consultant? I've tried the website but none close to me at all. Tiktok thanks for the advice. I've eliminated a few of those and she has been checked for Tongue tie but I'll ask them to check again next week.

Will see how it goes at weigh in next week!

I've been there. My daughter had tongue tie then I got baaaddd mastitis. It took 7 weeks for her to regain the 1lb2oz she lost in 3 days afterbirth. However we felt we had to go to formula top ups (up to 400ml/day at one point) when she was 2 weeks old! I kept going withBF trying to increase supply. At 10weeks she was exclusively BF and has been since (17wks tomorrow). So please don't be disheartened. It IS possible to get back to EBF!! Good luck and (unmumsnetty) hugs. I know how hard it is right now, it does get easier. Promise!!

Lactation consultants WILL travel a fair distance. There's good advice about EVERYTHING on Kelly mom and eating oats will increase you supply - brewers yeast if you can get it.

Boots, I exclusively bf except for ff at bedtime, at which point I express. Dd normally has a fussy evening where nothing will calm her except the boob, but after a few hours of that behaviour they're pretty empty, so she gets a ff around 9:30, I pump (to stimulate boobs really, I do only manage to collect about 1.5oz!) and store the ebm for the next day. So she gets 1ff a day and about half a feed of ebm every other day.
I have had no luck finding a lactation consultant either and am in sussex

I'm guessing you've both checked on lcgb.org which lists the lactation consultants. There are some that cover east and West Sussex flymo.

I've tried their website. I'm rural West Wales and nearest is Cardiff which is 2 hour drive away unfortunately and I'll doubt they'll travel that far...

Hi, yep left messages with the West Sussex woman last week, I think they wound up the group though

How's it going boots?

Hi flymo,
I'm continuing with formula feeds at lunch and bed. She does the really fussy/distressed/colic thing at night and won't take the breast and the bottle is the only thing that will calm her. I'm hoping I'm not encouraging bad habits though? Can this happen at a month?!

I'm seeing health visitor wed so well see how she's getting on. I'll ask her about tounge tie and other things discussed on here.
I've had no luck finding lactation consultant either.

Sorry, meant to say best of luck with HV on weds xx

Grrr, typed a whole other message to you and it got erased! I would say don't worry about any habits forming, it's so early, and the weight gain is what counts

Thanks I will let you know how she gets on and clearly moo thanks for the hugs! x